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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. root — of a word
  6. swing — in golf
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rush — hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a plant
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. press — newspapers
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. swing — music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. roll — a list
  23. fine — all right
  24. roll — a cake

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