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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rash — a series
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rash — hasty
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spell — letters
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — magic
  20. court — for sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. sharp — clever

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