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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. court — for sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — the tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. court — of law
  9. club — a group
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — high quality
  13. press — to push
  14. rule — a law
  15. court — of a king
  16. fine — all right
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. club — for golf
  22. rule — government
  23. drill — army training
  24. rule — to rule out

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