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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mug — a face
  6. press — a publisher
  7. field — a subject
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. suit — to fit
  10. snap — to click
  11. field — for sport
  12. rock — a stone
  13. press — to push
  14. rock — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mug — to rob
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. press — newspapers
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. firm — a company
  24. mug — a cup

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