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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rock — a stone
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. press — to push
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rock — music

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