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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: perch · hide · present · bound · squash · game · ball · fan

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bound — tied together
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. game — wild animals
  10. present — there
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — the time now
  14. squash — the sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bound — certain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. present — a gift
  21. game — a match
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hide — to keep secret

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