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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. spell — letters
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. spell — magic
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — in football
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spell — a short time
  22. court — of law
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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