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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — a series
  4. band — a ring
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — to eat
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — to push
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rest — a break
  24. date — on the calendar

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