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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a great time
  11. field — a subject
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — soda
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ball — a dance
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — hurry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. arm — part of the body

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