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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. court — of a king
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. hand — help
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — to push
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — in cards
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. court — of law
  23. fine — all right
  24. sharp — clever

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