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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. race — humankind
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rush — hurry
  15. snap — to click
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stock — shares
  20. race — a contest
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — to hurry

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