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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. press — to push
  8. swing — music
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. suit — to fit
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — a group
  21. swing — in golf
  22. kid — child
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bowl — to roll

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