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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pop — soda
  7. fork — in a road
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — decided
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. press — newspapers
  15. roll — a list
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. roll — a cake
  18. firm — a company
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rush — hurry
  21. key — in music
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bear — the animal

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