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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 116 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tear — from crying
  12. press — to push
  13. bat — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. press — a publisher
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. tear — to rip

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