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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. court — of a king
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — to push
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — to drill
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stand — to bear
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — a song
  21. court — of law
  22. track — a path
  23. bore — gave birth
  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