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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. swing — in golf
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. swing — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — obliged
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. swing — to play on

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