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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 124 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. court — of law
  3. current — happening now
  4. content — happy
  5. press — a publisher
  6. court — for sport
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — in music
  10. press — to push
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rock — music
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. content — the amount
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — the most important part
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. press — newspapers
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rock — a stone

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