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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — of a river
  3. press — to push
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — of a word
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — of law
  20. rash — a series
  21. press — newspapers
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. court — for sport

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