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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. press — a publisher
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pop — music
  9. capital — money
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — to push
  13. pop — to visit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. capital — a city
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — soda

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