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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — hurry
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. court — of law
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cap — of ice
  8. press — to push
  9. court — for sport
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — a lid
  13. press — newspapers
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. press — a publisher
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — a match
  22. cap — a hat
  23. charge — in control
  24. game — wild animals

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