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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 116 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. press — to push
  3. branch — a division
  4. cue — a signal
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bound — certain
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mark — a trace
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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