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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 meat?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. press — to push
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. press — newspapers
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fine — all right
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. season — in sport
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. ball — a dance
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. saw — the tool

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