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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. court — of a king
  3. ground — crushed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ground — a position
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. last — final
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. court — of law
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. last — to go on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tube — a container
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. court — for sport
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — finally
  23. press — to push
  24. tube — the underground

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