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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pass — a permit
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. kick — in football
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. net — for catching
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bat — the animal
  24. press — newspapers

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