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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kid — to tease
  5. court — of a king
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — after costs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — child
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — of law
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a leader
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — for catching

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