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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — to push
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — newspapers
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cue — a hint
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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