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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — to eat
  9. scale — size or range
  10. march — the month
  11. scale — in music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. press — to push
  19. suit — to fit
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — music
  24. foot — part of the body

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