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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · stick · press · wake · jam · race · perch · rock

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. race — humankind
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — to push
  8. race — a contest
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rock — music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. perch — the fish
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — a stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com