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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — government
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rule — a law
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pop — soda

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