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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pound — a weight
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rock — music
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — to push
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — clothes
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. net — for catching
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rest — a break

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