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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. net — in sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cap — a lid
  9. press — newspapers
  10. court — of law
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. net — for catching
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pit — a hole
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. court — of a king
  20. bark — to shout
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. press — to push
  24. cap — of ice

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