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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. net — after costs
  14. wake — a trail
  15. roll — a cake
  16. press — newspapers
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. press — to push
  20. roll — a list
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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