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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. field — farmland
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — to sink
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — soda
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. key — for a lock
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pop — music
  17. band — a music group
  18. key — in music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. field — a subject
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pitch — completely
  24. field — for sport

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