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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cap — a lid
  4. press — to push
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stock — shares
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stock — goods
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. swing — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. press — newspapers
  19. swing — in golf
  20. press — a publisher
  21. squash — the sport
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. perch — for a bird

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