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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 116 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stock — goods
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. shower — rain
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — for sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. court — of a king
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stock — shares

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