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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. can — to be able to
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — in sport
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. press — newspapers
  8. net — after costs
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — for catching
  12. press — a publisher
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. march — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. press — to push
  22. rash — hasty
  23. game — a match
  24. fan — a supporter

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