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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — newspapers
  8. row — to paddle
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. row — a line
  18. sharp — exactly

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