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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. press — a publisher
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. snap — to click
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. foot — a measure
  15. ball — a great time
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rock — music
  21. press — to push
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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