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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rush — hurry
  7. net — in sport
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ball — a great time
  13. press — newspapers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — for catching
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. press — to push
  22. net — after costs
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rock — a stone

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