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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. net — after costs
  10. firm — steady
  11. court — for sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of law
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cell — a phone
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. court — of a king
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. temple — side of the head

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