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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bore — to tire
  3. press — a publisher
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — to push
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fine — all right
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. court — for sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bore — to drill
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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