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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fine — high quality
  4. board — to get on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. march — the month
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. court — of law
  9. race — humankind
  10. march — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. race — a contest
  14. roll — a list
  15. court — for sport
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fine — all right
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. march — the month
  20. race — the arms race
  21. craft — a skill
  22. roll — a cake
  23. craft — boats
  24. press — to push

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