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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pound — a weight
  8. press — newspapers
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ball — a great time
  19. press — to push
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. track — a path
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ball — a dance

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