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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tube — the underground
  5. press — newspapers
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. court — of a king
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ground — a position
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tube — a container
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — the time now
  20. cell — a phone
  21. press — to push
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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