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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — soda
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pop — to visit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. can — a tin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. can — to be able to
  24. press — to push

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