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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — for sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hand — in cards
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mug — a face
  13. press — a publisher
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. press — to push
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. court — of a king
  24. mug — a cup

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