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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bound — certain
  9. court — of a king
  10. press — a publisher
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. bound — obliged
  23. court — for sport
  24. temple — side of the head

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