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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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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: stock · cue · pass · court · sharp · press · perch · chair

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. court — of a king
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — goods
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cue — a signal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stock — shares
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — a permit
  14. press — newspapers
  15. court — for sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. press — to push
  19. court — of law
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cue — a hint

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