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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. object — a thing
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. object — an aim
  6. pop — soda
  7. rule — government
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pop — music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tube — a container
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. object — to protest
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rule — a law
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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