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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 120 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pop — music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pop — soda
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. can — a tin
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. press — to push
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — a trainer

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