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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. press — to push
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. march — music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. file — a document
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. pop — music
  18. march — the month
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. pop — soda

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