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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · content · perch · present · cabinet · bound · press · board

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — for golf
  4. perch — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — to push
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. press — newspapers
  11. present — there
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. club — for dancing
  14. present — the time now
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — happy
  20. club — a group
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. board — to get on
  23. present — a gift
  24. content — the amount

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