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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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Word bank
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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: bulb · press · cap · mine · last · court · kick · mouse

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — in football
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — to push
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — to go on
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. last — finally

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