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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — music
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. swing — music
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rock — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — help
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — soda
  23. rock — a stone
  24. press — a publisher

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