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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pop — soda
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a song
  5. hand — in cards
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. track — a path
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. cue — for pool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cue — a hint
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pop — music

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