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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. press — to push
  3. file — a line of people
  4. game — wild animals
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. file — a document
  9. game — a match
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cue — for pool
  12. scale — in music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cue — a hint
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. game — a kind of play

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