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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. object — to protest
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. object — an aim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pass — a permit

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