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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rule — government
  4. season — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — to push
  7. swing — to play on
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — newspapers
  12. swing — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — of the year
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rule — to rule out

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