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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. press — to push
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — to visit
  5. snap — to click
  6. rash — hasty
  7. capital — money
  8. pop — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — music
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pop — soda
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. swing — to play on

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