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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. suit — to fit
  3. court — for sport
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chair — a leader
  8. current — electric
  9. court — of a king
  10. bear — the animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stand — for spectators

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