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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · stock · nail · rash · fall · press · court · perch

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — of a king
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. fall — the season
  7. tear — to rip
  8. perch — the fish
  9. press — newspapers
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — hasty
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — a publisher
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rash — a series
  19. court — of law
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — to push
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. court — for sport

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