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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. press — to push
  4. track — a song
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ground — a position
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. row — a line
  18. ground — the earth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. row — to paddle
  23. game — a match
  24. arm — part of the body

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