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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. scale — in music
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. scale — size or range
  11. press — a publisher
  12. season — in sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. band — a ring
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cold — not warm
  17. can — to be able to
  18. press — newspapers
  19. season — of the year
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — an illness
  22. press — to push
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. band — a rubber band

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