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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pop — soda
  5. capital — a city
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — music
  11. present — the time now
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. press — to push
  17. club — for golf
  18. present — there
  19. club — a group
  20. pop — to visit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. capital — money

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