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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — for catching
  5. press — to push
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fork — in a road
  11. net — after costs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. scale — in music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ball — a great time
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. net — in sport
  21. suit — clothes
  22. scale — size or range
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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