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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. press — to push
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — a tin

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