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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — newspapers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — for sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a match
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. press — a publisher
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — to push
  24. branch — of a tree

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