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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. race — humankind
  9. press — to push
  10. wax — to grow
  11. press — newspapers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — of law
  22. race — a contest
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — for sculpting

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