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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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pop — music
  7. field — for sport
  8. press — to push
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mate — a friend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — soda
  16. field — a subject
  17. march — the month
  18. press — a publisher
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. field — farmland
  24. dip — to sink

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