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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. press — a publisher
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. press — to push
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. charge — in control
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rock — music
  19. swing — music
  20. charge — a price
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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