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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 button?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. snap — to click
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — music
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. chip — for betting
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chip — to eat
  24. press — a publisher

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