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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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. court — for sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. court — of law
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fine — high quality
  9. scale — size or range
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. scale — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fine — all right
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. branch — a division
  21. court — of a king
  22. press — to push
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bear — the animal

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