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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. root — of a word
  4. court — for sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — to push
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — the cause
  14. wake — a trail
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. court — of a king
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. court — of law
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bound — obliged
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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