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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kid — to tease
  9. press — newspapers
  10. board — to get on
  11. rush — hurry
  12. press — to push
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — the month
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kick — in football
  18. march — music
  19. kid — child
  20. press — a publisher
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. board — a committee
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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