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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bound — certain
  7. press — to push
  8. bound — obliged
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bound — tied together
  15. scale — size or range
  16. press — newspapers
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chair — a leader

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