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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a ring
  4. court — of a king
  5. staff — employees
  6. press — to push
  7. court — of law
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. press — newspapers
  11. net — after costs
  12. press — a publisher
  13. staff — a stick
  14. band — a music group
  15. suit — clothes
  16. court — for sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — in cards

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