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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spell — magic
  3. press — newspapers
  4. track — a path
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. track — a song
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. press — a publisher
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — to push
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pit — a hole
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. spell — letters
  18. degree — temperature
  19. track — to keep track
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pit — in a race
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bat — the animal

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