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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. track — to keep track
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chest — a box
  8. court — of a king
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. court — for sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — of law
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — to push
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a path
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. track — a song

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