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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. cap — of ice
  8. press — a publisher
  9. drill — army training
  10. court — of a king
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cap — a lid
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a match
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — of law
  21. game — wild animals
  22. court — for sport
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mug — to rob

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