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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. press — to push
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a dance
  12. press — a publisher
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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