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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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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: court · spell · ball · ruler · press · bay · season · wake

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spell — letters
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. wake — a trail
  11. court — of law
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. season — of the year
  19. spell — a short time
  20. press — to push
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spell — magic
  24. ruler — for measuring

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