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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kid — child
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. press — to push
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. court — for sport
  15. kid — to tease
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — a price
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. press — a publisher

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