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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pop — music
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — a line
  20. press — to push
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stock — goods
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fork — in a road

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