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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. press — to push
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lean — to bend
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. degree — an amount
  15. shower — rain
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lean — thin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — all right
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pop — soda
  24. rock — music

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