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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. court — of law
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. band — a music group
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. court — of a king
  8. press — to push
  9. court — for sport
  10. present — there
  11. press — a publisher
  12. present — the time now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bank — of a river
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — a gift
  21. race — a contest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — the arms race
  24. perch — the fish

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