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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. press — newspapers
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. press — to push
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. last — final
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. last — finally
  15. wake — a trail
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — a song
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. last — to go on
  24. track — a path

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