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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. court — of law
  7. press — to push
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. key — for a lock
  12. scale — in music
  13. court — of a king
  14. mug — a cup
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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