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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 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — a publisher
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — to handle
  8. track — to keep track
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. spell — magic
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. swing — music
  15. press — to push
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. track — a path

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