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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pop — soda
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — a container
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. press — to push
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — newspapers
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pop — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — a group
  14. scale — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. scale — size or range
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — to visit
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for golf

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