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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spell — letters
  5. mate — a friend
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — for catching
  11. march — music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — a partner
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spell — a short time
  20. press — to push
  21. net — after costs
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

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