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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — in music
  4. court — for sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. press — to push
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. press — newspapers
  18. court — of law
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — decided
  24. cold — not warm

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