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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · mug · press · clip · deal · scale

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. 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. clip — to cut
  2. mug — a face
  3. clip — a video
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rule — a law
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. scale — in music
  10. press — to push
  11. rule — government
  12. scale — size or range
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mug — to rob
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mug — a cup
  18. 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