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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. file — a tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chest — a box
  9. press — to push
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cue — a hint
  14. file — a line of people
  15. season — in sport
  16. track — a path
  17. cue — a signal
  18. file — a document
  19. chest — of your body
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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