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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. press — newspapers
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cell — in biology
  13. season — of the year
  14. press — to push
  15. row — a line
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cell — a phone
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — a country

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