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

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — a signal
  5. press — to push
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. press — a publisher
  11. file — a document
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cue — a hint
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. snap — to click
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. row — a line
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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