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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cold — not warm
  18. press — a publisher
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cue — a hint
  22. club — for golf
  23. drill — army training
  24. pop — music

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