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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. press — to push
  3. game — a match
  4. pitch — completely
  5. press — a publisher
  6. swing — music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. press — newspapers
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rule — a law
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bank — of a river

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