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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. content — the amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitch — completely
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. roll — a list
  11. charge — a price
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — size or range
  14. press — newspapers
  15. content — happy
  16. roll — a cake
  17. press — to push
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — in control
  24. content — videos and posts

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