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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. court — of law
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — clever
  13. court — of a king
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. court — for sport
  20. pound — a weight
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cabinet — ministers

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