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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. dip — to sink
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. press — a publisher
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — soda
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a great time
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a dance
  24. press — newspapers

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