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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — the fish
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — obliged
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bass — low music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hand — help
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rule — a law
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — to push
  24. bound — tied together

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