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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. drill — army training
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. club — for golf
  9. drill — a practice
  10. club — for dancing
  11. charge — in control
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. drill — the tool
  18. kid — child
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. club — a group
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. suit — to fit

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