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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. press — to push
  6. race — the arms race
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. press — newspapers
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. degree — temperature
  22. race — a contest
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tube — the underground

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