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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · game · mug · pitcher · press · season · pound · cabinet

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mug — to rob
  7. game — a match
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — of the year
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mug — a cup
  24. snap — to click

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