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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spell — magic
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. kid — child
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. spell — letters
  19. press — to push
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cue — for pool
  23. net — for catching
  24. pound — to hit hard

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