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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kick — in football
  3. court — of law
  4. season — of the year
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pitch — completely
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — of a king
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pound — a weight
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. press — to push
  19. face — to point toward
  20. press — a publisher
  21. season — in sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — for sport

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