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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. press — to push
  8. hand — help
  9. pound — a weight
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spring — the season
  19. club — for golf
  20. spring — of water
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. club — a group
  24. spring — a coil

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