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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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Word bank
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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: safe · current · perch · bat · land · bowl · pound · press

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — newspapers
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. current — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — a country
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. current — electric
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. press — to push
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. current — happening now
  24. bowl — a football final

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