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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chest — of your body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. club — for golf
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. face — to confront
  18. press — to push
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. press — newspapers
  23. club — a group
  24. cue — a hint

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