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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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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. scale — in music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rule — a law
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rule — government
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. press — newspapers
  14. scale — size or range
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. press — to push

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