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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mark — a grade
  13. press — to push
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rock — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. content — happy
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — to hit hard

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