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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pop — to visit
  3. tear — to rip
  4. press — newspapers
  5. court — for sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pound — a weight
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pop — music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pop — soda
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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