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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rash — a series
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — hasty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mouse — for a computer

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