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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for dancing
  3. present — there
  4. press — to push
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chair — a leader
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rule — a law
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. club — for golf
  15. stand — to bear
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — government
  18. club — a group

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