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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. scale — size or range
  4. craft — a skill
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — boats
  11. scale — in music
  12. press — to push
  13. pop — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — a match
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pop — to visit
  18. press — newspapers
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pop — soda
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rest — a break
  24. press — a publisher

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