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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. press — newspapers
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mark — a grade
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bark — to shout
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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