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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. press — newspapers
  3. court — for sport
  4. fall — the season
  5. press — a publisher
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. club — a group
  9. press — to push
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. court — of a king
  14. kick — in football
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — to drop
  17. band — a music group
  18. court — of law
  19. cell — a phone
  20. band — a ring
  21. club — for golf
  22. cell — in biology
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kick — with a leg

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