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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hand — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. field — a subject
  7. swing — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. field — for sport
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — to play on
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — in control
  17. court — for sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. charge — a price
  20. hand — help
  21. field — farmland
  22. press — to push
  23. court — of law
  24. deal — an agreement

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