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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — music
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. press — to push
  13. key — in music
  14. object — a thing
  15. key — the most important part
  16. object — an aim
  17. last — to go on
  18. key — for a lock
  19. press — newspapers
  20. object — to protest
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. march — the month

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