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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.

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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 · perch · ruler · bat · suit · court · calf · fall

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. fall — the season
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. fall — to drop
  10. court — of law
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. suit — in cards
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — newspapers
  24. suit — to fit

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