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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · lash · perch · object · court · rush · club · kid

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — for sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — to protest
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. press — newspapers
  8. club — for dancing
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. court — of law
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. club — for golf
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kid — child
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. kid — to tease
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — a group

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