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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pop — soda
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bound — tied together
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. rest — a break
  15. bound — certain
  16. ball — a dance
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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