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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — all right
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pop — soda
  12. press — newspapers
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stock — shares
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stock — goods
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. press — a publisher
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stock — a soup base

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