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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — a publisher
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. firm — steady
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. firm — decided
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. current — happening now
  12. firm — a company
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — electric
  17. press — to push
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wake — a trail
  23. craft — boats
  24. court — for sport

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