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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. squash — to crush
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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