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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. court — of law
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of a king
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — to crush
  19. press — newspapers
  20. charge — a price
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — for sport

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