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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. court — for sport
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. court — of a king
  9. row — to paddle
  10. court — of law
  11. mug — a cup
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rash — a series
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. press — to push
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pound — a weight
  24. jam — in traffic

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