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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stock — goods
  13. press — to push
  14. stock — shares
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. press — a publisher
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pop — soda
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. press — newspapers

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