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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. suit — to fit
  3. track — a song
  4. mug — to rob
  5. track — to keep track
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pop — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. press — a publisher
  13. swing — music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — to push
  18. track — a path
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. suit — clothes
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — soda
  24. racket — for tennis

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