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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. swing — to play on
  14. court — of law
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. press — to push
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. swing — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mug — a face
  24. swing — in golf

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