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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rock — music
  8. press — to push
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — to confront
  15. march — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. racket — a loud noise

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