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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. net — for catching
  3. object — to protest
  4. fine — high quality
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ground — a position
  8. court — for sport
  9. press — to push
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — in football
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. net — in sport
  17. court — of law
  18. net — after costs
  19. fine — all right
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lie — to recline
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lie — an untruth

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