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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bat — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. press — to push
  7. pass — a permit
  8. roll — a cake
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. roll — a list
  18. kick — in football
  19. pop — music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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