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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. sharp — clever
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. field — a subject
  8. club — for dancing
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. kick — in football
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. press — to push
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. content — the amount
  20. press — newspapers
  21. swing — to play on
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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