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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. net — for catching
  3. ground — a position
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. court — of law
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ground — crushed
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a path
  15. press — a publisher
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. press — to push
  19. track — a song
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — a permit

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