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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: stand · perch · object · press · court · club · rest · present

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. court — for sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. object — a thing
  8. club — for golf
  9. rest — a break
  10. press — to push
  11. object — an aim
  12. present — there
  13. court — of a king
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — the fish
  16. present — a gift
  17. object — to protest
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. present — the time now
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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