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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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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: mark · press · pound · cap · court · kick · wake · fine

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. court — of law
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. press — to push
  18. pound — a weight
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kick — in football
  24. cap — of ice

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