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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pop — soda
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pop — to visit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — to push
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. staff — employees
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bowl — a dish

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