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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. drill — army training
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pop — soda
  6. suit — in cards
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. press — to push
  20. pitch — completely
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rash — a series
  23. pop — music
  24. rash — on the skin

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