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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. press — to push
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stock — shares
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pop — soda
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stock — goods
  14. lie — to recline
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — a position
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pop — 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