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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — boats
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bat — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mark — a grade
  16. press — to push
  17. chair — a leader
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fall — the season
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fan — a supporter

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