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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — a thing
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. net — in sport
  6. last — final
  7. press — to push
  8. last — to go on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — finally
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — to protest
  15. net — for catching
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. net — after costs
  18. object — an aim
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. land — a country
  22. scale — in music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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