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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. press — newspapers
  12. spring — of water
  13. fork — in a road
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. spring — the season
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spring — a coil
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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