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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pop — soda
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — the underground
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. roll — a list
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pop — music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. roll — on a roll

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