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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mate — to breed
  5. row — a line
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — a break
  8. press — to push
  9. mark — a trace
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pop — soda
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pop — to visit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — what's left

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