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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: coach · press · stand · cabinet · can · perch · current · mouse

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. press — to push
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — to bear
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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