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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. press — to push
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. net — in sport
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — after costs
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. net — for catching
  24. scale — in music

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