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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — a group
  6. kid — to tease
  7. press — to push
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. scale — size or range
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — for golf
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. march — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kid — child
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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