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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — for sport
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. press — newspapers
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. court — of law
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rest — a break
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. date — the fruit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. court — of a king
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rest — what's left

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