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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — to push
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cue — a signal
  8. scale — in music
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cue — for pool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ground — crushed
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cue — a hint
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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