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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: kid · pop · cue · press · row · pit · stick · net

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a line
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pop — soda
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cue — for pool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kid — child
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. cue — a hint
  16. net — after costs
  17. pit — a hole
  18. press — to push
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. net — in sport
  22. row — to paddle
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cue — a signal

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