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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — of a king
  4. pop — soda
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pop — music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. court — for sport
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lean — to bend
  17. press — a publisher
  18. club — a group
  19. press — to push
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. club — for golf
  23. pop — to visit
  24. court — of law

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