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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cue — a hint
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cue — for pool
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. race — a contest
  11. press — a publisher
  12. race — the arms race
  13. season — in sport
  14. race — humankind
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cue — a signal

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