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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. press — newspapers
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hand — in cards
  9. club — for golf
  10. hand — help
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. club — for dancing
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. club — a group
  18. hand — part of the body

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