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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. press — to push
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lean — thin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cue — a signal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — to drill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. last — final
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. cue — a hint

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