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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. press — newspapers
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. suit — clothes
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. suit — to fit
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — to visit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. suit — in cards
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mine — for digging
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. racket — for tennis

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