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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. court — of law
  3. toast — bread
  4. press — to push
  5. capital — money
  6. press — newspapers
  7. court — for sport
  8. game — wild animals
  9. press — a publisher
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. capital — a city
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. root — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. can — to be able to
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. root — the cause
  18. court — of a king
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. toast — the most admired

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