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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: present · roll · press · stem · rest · court · deal · bear

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. court — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. present — there
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. deal — to handle
  18. court — of law
  19. press — newspapers
  20. present — the time now
  21. stem — to come from
  22. press — to push
  23. roll — a list
  24. stem — of a plant

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