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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mark — a grade
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. game — a match
  9. swing — music
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. press — to push
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — an aim
  15. track — a song
  16. object — to protest
  17. press — newspapers
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — a trace
  22. swing — to play on
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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