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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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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: pitcher · ball · suit · press · wake · net · mate · court

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. court — for sport
  7. press — a publisher
  8. court — of a king
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — for catching
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — to breed
  16. press — to push
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — in sport
  23. wake — a trail
  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