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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mug — a face
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. court — of a king
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. kick — in football
  10. court — for sport
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. press — newspapers
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mug — a cup
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pit — in a race

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