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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. sharp — clever
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — to visit
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — soda
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a friend
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pop — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. march — music

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