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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. band — a music group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bark — to shout
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. band — a ring
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pitcher — a jug

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