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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. band — a music group
  3. press — to push
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. press — newspapers
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — in cards
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. court — for sport
  15. press — a publisher
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. suit — clothes
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bat — in an idiom

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