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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — to push
  8. club — a group
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs

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