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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cell — a phone
  5. craft — boats
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ground — crushed
  11. roll — a list
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. court — of law
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ground — a position
  16. press — to push
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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