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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: clip · board · press · fine · perch · season · bound · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mate — a friend
  5. board — a committee
  6. clip — to cut
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — certain
  9. press — to push
  10. mate — a partner
  11. clip — a video
  12. press — a publisher
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — for paper
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — of the year
  17. bound — obliged
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bound — tied together
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. season — in sport

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