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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. object — a thing
  4. sharp — clever
  5. object — an aim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. press — newspapers
  9. court — for sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. object — to protest
  13. squash — to crush
  14. court — of a king
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the sport
  18. press — to push
  19. bulb — for light
  20. press — a publisher
  21. game — a match
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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