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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. press — newspapers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — in music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rule — government
  10. ball — a great time
  11. track — a path
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. press — to push
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. file — a line of people
  17. press — a publisher
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. file — a tool
  22. track — a song
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. file — a document

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