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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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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. court — of law
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rock — a stone
  6. court — of a king
  7. swing — to play on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. press — to push
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — for sport
  12. swing — in golf
  13. land — to come down
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — newspapers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — music
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. land — a country
  22. press — a publisher
  23. land — ground
  24. arm — part of the body

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