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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. tube — a container
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. press — to push
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pop — to visit
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pop — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. leaves — of a tree

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