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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. present — the time now
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. court — of law
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. present — there
  9. net — in sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — of a king
  12. club — for golf
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — a publisher
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. court — for sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. net — after costs
  19. present — a gift
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. press — to push
  22. net — for catching
  23. press — newspapers
  24. perch — for a bird

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