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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bound — obliged
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. swing — music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — for sport
  12. spell — magic
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. deal — to handle
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spell — letters
  21. rush — hurry
  22. swing — to play on
  23. press — a publisher
  24. swing — in golf

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