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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. scale — in music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. press — to push
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — to cool the air

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