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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fall — the season
  3. rule — a law
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. perch — the fish
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rule — government
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fall — to drop

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