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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. race — a contest
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fine — all right
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — of law
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — for sport
  18. ball — a great time
  19. race — humankind
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. press — to push
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fine — high quality
  24. press — newspapers

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