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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. press — to push
  4. bound — tied together
  5. club — a group
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — obliged
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — for sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mark — a trace
  19. club — for golf
  20. court — of law
  21. mark — a grade
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bound — certain

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