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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spell — letters
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pound — a weight
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spring — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — to push
  18. pitch — completely
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. roll — a list
  21. spell — magic
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spring — the season
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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