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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 124 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. press — to push
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chip — for betting
  14. court — for sport
  15. press — newspapers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. court — of law
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chip — to eat
  24. plane — a tool

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