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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to sink
  3. press — to push
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. press — a publisher
  7. suit — to fit
  8. land — ground
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ground — the earth
  11. suit — clothes
  12. land — to come down
  13. court — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — of law
  19. land — a country
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of a king
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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