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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
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: dip · chair · current · court · spring · coach · press · perch

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — happening now
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. court — for sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — to push
  16. current — electric
  17. press — newspapers
  18. current — of water
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to sink

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