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

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. march — music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. season — of the year
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. press — to push
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cap — of ice
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cap — a hat
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. march — the month

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