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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. season — of the year
  4. cap — a hat
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cap — a lid
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. perch — the fish
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. toast — bread
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stem — to come from
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — to push
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — a committee
  24. branch — of a tree

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