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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. degree — an amount
  7. face — to confront
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. court — of a king
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bass — the fish
  14. press — a publisher
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — from a university
  17. key — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. press — to push
  21. key — the most important part
  22. court — for sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — part of the head

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