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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — all right
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — a measure
  9. march — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — to push
  12. tube — the underground
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. march — the month
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — high quality

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