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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 116 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. file — a tool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. vault — a safe
  11. file — a document
  12. court — for sport
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — to push
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — high quality
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fine — all right

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