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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. capital — a city
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. capital — money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ball — a dance
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bowl — a dish

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