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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. press — a publisher
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bark — to shout
  5. march — music
  6. press — to push
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rest — a break
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. march — the month
  18. bat — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. squash — the 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