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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. file — a document
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spell — letters
  11. court — of law
  12. spell — a short time
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. court — for sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — magic
  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