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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — after costs
  3. drill — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. mark — a grade
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — a song
  17. net — in sport
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — a break
  20. mate — to breed
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. drill — army training
  24. mark — to pay attention

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