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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. can — a tin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. march — music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pass — a permit
  10. press — to push
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chest — a box
  14. can — a tin
  15. march — the month
  16. pop — soda
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chest — of your body
  19. march — the month
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pop — to visit

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