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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. net — in sport
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. band — a ring
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. press — to push
  7. track — a song
  8. press — a publisher
  9. band — a music group
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. net — after costs
  14. bore — to drill
  15. track — a path
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fine — all right
  18. press — newspapers
  19. net — for catching
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. snap — to click

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