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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — for sport
  5. race — humankind
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — the arms race
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — happening now
  10. bank — for money
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — completely
  13. race — a contest
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — the season
  20. bank — of a river
  21. current — electric
  22. court — of a king
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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