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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. file — a document
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — to push
  7. spring — a coil
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — in control
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. game — a match
  16. scale — in music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — wild animals
  23. plane — a tool
  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