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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. court — for sport
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — obliged
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rest — what's left
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — low music
  10. press — to push
  11. bound — certain
  12. squash — the sport
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. court — of a king
  24. bound — tied together

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