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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. press — to push
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. perch — the fish
  6. club — a group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. scale — in music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tube — a container
  19. press — newspapers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ruler — for measuring

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