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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pass — a permit
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. march — the month
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chip — for betting

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