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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. key — for a lock
  5. press — to push
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. court — for sport
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cue — for pool
  11. court — of a king
  12. cue — a signal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. court — of law
  19. root — the cause
  20. press — newspapers
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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