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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 120 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
468
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: mine · court · craft · ball · cell · pass · press · suit

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mine — for digging
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — of law
  9. press — to push
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. craft — boats
  13. cell — in biology
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. suit — clothes
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — belonging to me

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