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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. press — newspapers
  3. court — for sport
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. press — to push
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bat — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — a container
  24. bat — for baseball

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