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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — soda
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. court — for sport
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pop — to visit
  22. court — of a king
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. court — of law

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