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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. firm — a company
  5. press — newspapers
  6. firm — decided
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. court — for sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — of law
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — steady
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. court — of a king

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