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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 124 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — a tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. court — of a king
  6. net — in sport
  7. toast — bread
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. hand — help
  11. press — to push
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. net — for catching
  24. hand — part of the body

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