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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 124 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. drill — a practice
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. press — newspapers
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bass — the fish
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. scale — in music
  11. drill — army training
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. deal — to handle
  14. press — to push
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. scale — size or range
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. present — the time now
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. press — a publisher

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