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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. rock — music
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — to push
  4. club — for golf
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wax — to grow
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mine — for digging
  23. club — a group
  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