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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mark — a trace
  10. press — to push
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rock — a stone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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