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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 124 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — a short time
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — for sport
  8. press — to push
  9. court — of a king
  10. spell — magic
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. toast — bread
  20. board — to get on
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bowl — a football final

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