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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. press — to push
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — a publisher
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ball — a round shape

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