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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. court — for sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. press — to push
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spell — magic
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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