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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. court — of a king
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stock — shares
  9. ball — a dance
  10. club — for golf
  11. court — of law
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — a group
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wax — to grow
  23. club — for dancing
  24. calf — a young animal

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