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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — newspapers
  5. present — a gift
  6. press — a publisher
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. current — happening now
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. present — there
  11. season — in sport
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. current — electric
  15. present — the time now
  16. season — of the year
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a great time
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. press — to push
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ball — a dance

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