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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rest — a break
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. field — a subject
  6. press — to push
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — music
  14. field — for sport
  15. pit — in a race
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. capital — money
  20. pop — soda
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pit — a hole
  23. club — for golf
  24. capital — a big letter

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