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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. court — for sport
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ground — crushed
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — to rob
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. press — newspapers
  10. court — of law
  11. game — a match
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. ground — a position
  14. object — an aim
  15. toast — bread
  16. press — a publisher
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. object — to protest
  19. mug — a cup
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mug — a face
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — a thing

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