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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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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. net — for catching
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — money
  6. spell — letters
  7. net — after costs
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spell — magic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. game — a match
  13. toast — bread
  14. net — in sport
  15. game — wild animals
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. capital — a city
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. 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