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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — to push
  3. pop — music
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. clip — a video
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tube — a container
  19. pop — soda
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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