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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of a king
  3. press — to push
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of law
  7. rash — a series
  8. season — in sport
  9. craft — boats
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. court — for sport
  13. march — music
  14. board — to get on
  15. season — of the year
  16. board — a committee
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wind — moving air
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. craft — a skill

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