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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. court — of a king
  3. rash — a series
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lean — thin
  8. court — of law
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. court — for sport
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. squash — the sport
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. squash — to crush
  21. press — to push
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — boats

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