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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. board — to get on
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. press — a publisher
  5. last — to go on
  6. shower — rain
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fine — all right
  9. deal — to handle
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bass — low music
  14. last — finally
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. last — final
  22. shower — to wash
  23. board — a committee
  24. press — to push

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