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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kid — to tease
  4. court — of a king
  5. rock — a stone
  6. kid — child
  7. rock — music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. court — for sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — shares
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — of law
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bulb — for light

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