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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. press — a publisher
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stock — shares
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. press — to push
  12. stock — goods
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cue — a hint
  19. suit — to fit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — for pool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — for digging

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