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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a dance
  17. court — of a king
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. court — for sport
  22. toast — bread
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bear — the animal

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