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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. press — to push
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. shower — rain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. shower — to wash
  19. court — of law
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pitcher — a jug

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