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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. present — there
  3. land — a country
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. pound — a weight
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — size or range
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — a permit
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. degree — from a university
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. degree — an amount
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pound — to hit hard

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