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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. kid — to tease
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ball — a dance
  7. press — to push
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kid — child
  18. suit — clothes
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. suit — in cards
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. band — a rubber band

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