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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. tube — a container
  5. press — to push
  6. rash — a series
  7. present — there
  8. press — a publisher
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — the underground
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. present — the time now
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mark — a grade
  23. present — a gift
  24. straw — dry grass

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