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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: court · firm · leaves · press · ground · cabinet · coach · mug

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. court — for sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — a publisher
  7. court — of a king
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. press — to push
  11. court — of law
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mug — to rob
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a face
  20. ground — a position
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — decided
  23. mug — a cup
  24. firm — a company

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