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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rock — a stone
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ball — a great time
  6. court — of a king
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. shower — to wash
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. press — to push
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. press — a publisher
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rock — music
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. shower — rain
  24. ball — a round shape

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