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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. scale — in music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kid — child
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — shares
  9. press — to push
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — size or range
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. spell — letters
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spell — magic
  18. pass — a permit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pass — to spend time
  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