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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. race — a contest
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — to push
  15. spring — of water
  16. press — newspapers
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — humankind
  22. spring — the season
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. race — the arms race

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