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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. court — of a king
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a word
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. root — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — for betting
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — to eat
  18. court — of law
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. court — for sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. root — the cause
  24. perch — the fish

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