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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. press — to push
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — the cause
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cap — of ice
  10. march — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. march — the month
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. kid — child
  24. cap — a hat

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