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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cue — for pool
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mug — a face
  8. drill — the tool
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. spell — magic
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spell — a short time
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — a division
  23. press — a publisher
  24. drill — army training

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