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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. toast — bread
  18. march — the month
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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