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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cap — a hat
  4. court — of a king
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — a break
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — newspapers
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cap — of ice

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