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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — a hint
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — to bend
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cue — a signal
  16. club — for golf
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — for pool
  23. press — to push
  24. stand — to bear

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