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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — music
  6. bark — to shout
  7. press — to push
  8. club — for golf
  9. pass — a permit
  10. court — of law
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — a publisher
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. court — for sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pop — soda
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pop — to visit
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. club — a group

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