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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. press — a publisher
  10. field — a subject
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — for sport
  13. ground — a position
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — farmland
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. press — to push

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