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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hand — help
  11. pop — music
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — to visit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — for dogs

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