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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. capital — money
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. face — part of the head
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — to confront
  20. press — to push
  21. lean — thin
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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