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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a dance
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. court — of a king
  12. press — to push
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitcher — a jug

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