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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — in sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — of the year
  5. spell — a short time
  6. court — of a king
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spell — letters
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitch — completely
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. court — for sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. court — of law
  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