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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. club — for golf
  5. mark — a grade
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. scale — size or range
  9. club — a group
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — a container
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. club — for dancing
  20. land — a country
  21. press — newspapers
  22. scale — in music
  23. press — to push
  24. mug — a face

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