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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. court — of law
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — to push
  19. lean — to bend
  20. court — of a king
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. court — for sport
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fall — to drop

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