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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — from a university
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. court — of law
  14. degree — an amount
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rash — a series
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rule — a law
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rule — government
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. degree — temperature

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