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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bound — tied together
  3. press — to push
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — a group
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. scale — in music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. degree — from a university
  16. club — for golf
  17. bound — certain
  18. scale — size or range
  19. degree — temperature
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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