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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. net — in sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — after costs
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. march — music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. press — to push
  18. tube — a container
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. net — for catching
  24. ruler — a monarch

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