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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pop — to visit
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — a container
  13. roll — a list
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pop — soda
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. press — to push
  20. cap — a lid
  21. snap — to click
  22. mark — a trace
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pitch — completely

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