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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — there
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — to go on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fine — all right
  21. present — the time now
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cue — a signal

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