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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. court — of a king
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stand — to bear
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — for sport
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rush — a thrill

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