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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — a trace
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mug — a cup
  5. root — the cause
  6. mug — to rob
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. march — music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mug — a face
  12. press — to push
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. root — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. mark — a grade
  21. root — of a word
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — exactly

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