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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. court — of law
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. court — for sport
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — the tool
  15. march — the month
  16. spring — the season
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — of water
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. court — of a king
  24. spring — a coil

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