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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — a friend
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — to push
  5. court — of a king
  6. object — to protest
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rule — government
  10. object — a thing
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rule — a law
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. object — an aim
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mate — to breed
  20. club — for dancing
  21. court — of law
  22. club — for golf
  23. press — a publisher
  24. club — a group

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