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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · press · tear · firm · club · stick

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. court — of law
  3. tear — from crying
  4. court — of a king
  5. club — a group
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for dancing
  10. press — to push
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. firm — a company
  13. tear — from crying
  14. club — for golf
  15. firm — steady
  16. court — for sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. firm — decided

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