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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. press — a publisher
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. press — to push
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lean — thin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. court — of law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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