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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. field — a subject
  4. file — a line of people
  5. scale — in music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. press — to push
  8. content — happy
  9. scale — size or range
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — farmland
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — obliged
  18. staff — a stick
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. staff — employees
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. file — a tool
  24. field — for sport

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