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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — newspapers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — the fish
  14. court — of a king
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — to push
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. court — for sport
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. sharp — exactly

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