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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — in a race
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pit — a hole
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. press — to push
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. root — of a plant
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitch — completely
  20. race — a contest
  21. root — of a word
  22. band — a ring
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — to play on

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