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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. present — there
  3. press — newspapers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. press — a publisher
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — a gift
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — to visit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. present — the time now
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pop — soda
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. press — to push
  23. scale — in music
  24. pop — music

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