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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. court — of a king
  4. club — for dancing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. court — for sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. court — of law
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rock — a stone
  22. press — to push
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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