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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. net — in sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — a gift
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. court — for sport
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. court — of a king
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. present — the time now
  19. press — newspapers
  20. court — of law
  21. suit — to fit
  22. press — a publisher
  23. present — there
  24. press — to push

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