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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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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: drill · deal · rest · clip · pop · can · game · press

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. can — a tin
  6. clip — for paper
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pop — soda
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. can — to be able to
  12. clip — to cut
  13. press — to push
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. drill — army training
  23. rest — a break
  24. clip — a video

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