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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bound — certain
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. race — humankind
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pit — a hole
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. court — of law
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — of ice
  15. race — a contest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — tied together
  23. court — for sport
  24. pit — in a race

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