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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bound — certain
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. land — a country
  7. march — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. march — the month
  12. land — ground
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. foot — a measure
  16. press — newspapers
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. march — the month
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. land — to come down
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — the bottom

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