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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitch — completely
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mark — a trace
  19. charge — in control
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. charge — a price
  24. straw — dry grass

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