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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pop — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — newspapers
  6. swing — to play on
  7. press — to push
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pop — to visit
  10. object — to protest
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — a friend
  15. swing — in golf
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — music
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — soda
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — a publisher

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