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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. track — a song
  3. press — to push
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. suit — clothes
  7. march — the month
  8. kid — to tease
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — newspapers
  19. suit — to fit
  20. kid — child
  21. march — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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