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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pop — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. press — newspapers
  13. craft — a skill
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. press — to push
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rush — hurry
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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