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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
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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: lean · stand · drill · court · mark · perch · press · scale

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lean — thin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lean — to bend
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stand — to bear
  20. press — newspapers
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — in music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. drill — a practice

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