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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. press — a publisher
  3. band — a music group
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. chip — to eat
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. press — to push
  13. rash — hasty
  14. press — newspapers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — a series
  20. band — a ring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. chip — for betting
  24. can — a tin

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