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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. firm — a company
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. firm — steady
  5. press — newspapers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. pop — soda
  17. date — the fruit
  18. club — a group
  19. pop — music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. firm — decided
  24. press — to push

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