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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. court — of law
  3. root — the cause
  4. bound — certain
  5. court — for sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. court — of a king
  8. press — to push
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. root — of a word
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. key — in music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — tied together
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. key — the most important part
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. key — for a lock
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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