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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. band — a music group
  3. pitch — completely
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mate — a partner
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mate — a friend
  15. press — to push
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a ring
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — a big deal

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