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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. firm — steady

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