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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 120 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: kid · stock · mark · mug · press · present · perch · net

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mark — a grade
  4. press — to push
  5. stock — shares
  6. net — after costs
  7. kid — child
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mug — to rob
  10. net — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — a face
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — goods
  15. present — there
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. press — a publisher
  18. present — the time now
  19. net — for catching
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. perch — the fish
  22. present — a gift
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stock — a soup base

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