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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mate — to breed
  6. court — for sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. court — of a king
  9. row — to paddle
  10. craft — boats
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mate — a partner
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — army training
  19. press — a publisher
  20. row — a line
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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