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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pop — soda
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. row — a line
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — music
  16. press — to push
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pop — to visit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. row — to paddle
  24. press — a publisher

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