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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. degree — from a university
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — newspapers
  8. march — the month
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — to be able to
  15. press — to push
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — music
  22. land — a country
  23. degree — an amount
  24. press — a publisher

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