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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pass — a permit
  3. press — to push
  4. tear — from crying
  5. scale — in music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rock — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. march — the month
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. press — a publisher
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a grade
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tear — to rip
  24. scale — size or range

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