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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. swing — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lie — to recline
  8. board — to get on
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. press — a publisher
  11. object — a thing
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — to play on
  14. board — a committee
  15. object — an aim
  16. press — to push
  17. stock — shares
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. swing — in golf
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stock — goods

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