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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ball — a dance
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stock — goods
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. bound — certain
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — music
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. press — to push

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