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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. capital — a city
  9. fine — all right
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. court — for sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bulb — for light
  18. press — to push
  19. capital — money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fine — a penalty

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