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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. scale — in music
  6. swing — music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. press — a publisher
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. press — newspapers
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. press — to push

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