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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. court — of a king
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — newspapers
  8. content — happy
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. press — a publisher
  13. court — of law
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. content — the amount
  19. chair — a leader
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. press — to push
  23. object — a thing
  24. stand — to bear

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