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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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 — for weighing
  2. press — to push
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — size or range
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. field — for sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. field — a subject
  9. capital — a city
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cue — a signal
  15. scale — in music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. capital — money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cue — a hint
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. field — farmland
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lean — thin
  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