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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. press — newspapers
  3. band — a ring
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — to push
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. band — a music group
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pop — soda
  12. rest — a break
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. court — of law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — a line
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. rash — a series
  24. pop — music

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