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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: land · perch · court · press · fine · cue · rock · stand

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rock — music
  6. land — ground
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. press — a publisher
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stand — to bear
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — to come down
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rock — a stone
  18. press — to push
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fine — all right
  21. press — newspapers
  22. land — a country
  23. court — of law
  24. fine — a penalty

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