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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. court — of a king
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pop — soda
  13. court — for sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. ball — a dance
  16. press — to push
  17. root — the cause
  18. press — a publisher
  19. squash — the sport
  20. press — newspapers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. suit — clothes

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