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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cue — a signal
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — soda
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. press — to push
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. net — after costs
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. cue — a hint
  17. branch — a division
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — in sport
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pop — music
  24. object — an aim

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