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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. press — newspapers
  6. spell — a short time
  7. land — to come down
  8. spell — letters
  9. cold — not warm
  10. land — a country
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — a tin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. press — to push
  15. land — ground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cold — an illness
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spell — magic

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