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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. spell — magic
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spell — letters
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — help
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ground — a position
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pop — to visit
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — crushed

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