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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pass — a permit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. branch — a division
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. squash — to crush
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. press — to push
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. game — wild animals
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. game — a match

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