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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wind — moving air
  3. track — a path
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — a trace
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — to push
  11. bark — to shout
  12. scale — in music
  13. charge — a price
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — for catching
  23. track — a song
  24. wind — moving air

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