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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — a series
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. press — to push
  13. tube — a container
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. scale — in music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rash — hasty
  23. can — a tin
  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