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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. tube — the underground
  4. press — to push
  5. court — of a king
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — a weight
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. present — a gift
  10. court — for sport
  11. face — to point toward
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. face — part of the head
  15. board — to get on
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. court — of law
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — to confront

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