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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. press — newspapers
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. hand — help
  8. bore — to drill
  9. roll — a list
  10. scale — size or range
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. staff — a stick
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. press — to push
  22. hand — in cards
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — in music

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