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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. scale — size or range
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — after costs
  10. row — a line
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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