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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bank — of a river
  3. press — to push
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bank — for money
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rest — a break
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. game — a match
  16. scale — in music
  17. file — a document
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bank — for money
  20. press — a publisher
  21. scale — size or range
  22. file — a tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. game — a kind of play

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