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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — in sport
  4. roll — a cake
  5. present — there
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. season — of the year
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. board — a committee
  13. kid — to tease
  14. band — a music group
  15. kid — child
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. press — newspapers
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. perch — the fish
  20. press — a publisher
  21. board — to get on
  22. roll — a list
  23. band — a ring
  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