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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 is in your ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — of a king
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. court — of law
  12. staff — a stick
  13. net — in sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. staff — employees

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