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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · deal · press · present · stem · court · staff · object

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. present — a gift
  3. object — to protest
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. object — a thing
  13. court — for sport
  14. present — there
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stem — to come from
  21. press — to push
  22. object — an aim
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. court — of law

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