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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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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 · bowl · perch · nail · fall · staff · court · mark

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — newspapers
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — of law
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — to push
  18. court — for sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of a king
  21. perch — the fish
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. perch — for a bird

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