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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. press — a publisher
  3. swing — music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — the tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — a partner
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. press — newspapers
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — a city
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. key — in music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. staff — employees
  23. mate — a friend
  24. drill — army training

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