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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kid — to tease
  10. net — after costs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. press — to push
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — for catching
  18. kid — child

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