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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. march — the month
  3. staff — employees
  4. bound — tied together
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. march — the month
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. court — of a king
  18. march — music
  19. court — of law
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — for golf
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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