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

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rock — music
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. toast — bread
  7. march — music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. march — the month
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — to be able to
  16. press — to push
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. kid — to tease
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kid — child
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. can — a tin

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