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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. bore — to drill
  6. field — farmland
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rule — a law
  10. field — for sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mug — a cup
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rule — government
  19. mug — a face
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — a subject
  24. mug — to rob

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