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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 ________________ the button?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. staff — employees
  3. press — a publisher
  4. club — for golf
  5. press — newspapers
  6. court — of a king
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. court — of law
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — boats
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. court — for sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fan — a supporter

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