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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. court — of a king
  4. net — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. net — for catching
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. net — after costs
  15. present — there
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stock — shares
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. court — for sport
  21. vault — a safe
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cell — a phone
  24. press — to push

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