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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. swing — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. press — to push
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. key — the most important part
  18. swing — in golf
  19. press — newspapers
  20. perch — the fish
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. swing — to play on

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