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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. game — a match
  4. court — of a king
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kick — in football
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. object — a thing
  14. press — newspapers
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. object — to protest
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pop — to visit
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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