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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. court — of a king
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. press — to push
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. court — of law
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. squash — to crush
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. capital — a city
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fine — a penalty

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