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

Word bank: race · perch · tear · ruler · press · deal · foot · scale

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — to handle
  4. race — a contest
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. scale — size or range
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. race — the arms race
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. press — a publisher
  17. scale — in music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — to rip
  22. press — to push
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — newspapers

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