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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. court — of a king
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bound — certain
  6. court — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — obliged
  9. race — humankind
  10. field — for sport
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. race — a contest
  14. field — a subject
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — of law
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. race — the arms race
  20. field — farmland
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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