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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. press — a publisher
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. press — to push
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. capital — money
  14. bulb — for light
  15. date — the fruit
  16. capital — a city
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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