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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. file — a tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — high quality
  8. press — to push
  9. roll — a list
  10. net — in sport
  11. press — newspapers
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. toast — bread
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. file — a document
  24. net — after costs

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