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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — for a lock
  7. court — of a king
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. court — of law
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — hurry

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