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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. race — a contest
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cue — a signal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. ground — a position
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — humankind
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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