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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. band — a ring
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. deal — to handle
  8. court — for sport
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. press — to push
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pitch — completely
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. court — of law

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