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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — an aim
  4. press — to push
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. object — a thing
  9. firm — decided
  10. cue — a hint
  11. firm — steady
  12. scale — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cue — for pool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pound — to hit hard

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