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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — a publisher
  6. court — of a king
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. tear — from crying
  11. court — for sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. press — to push
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kid — child
  22. court — of law
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. press — newspapers

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