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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — in football
  6. club — for dancing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hand — in cards
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. club — a group
  15. press — to push
  16. club — for golf
  17. hand — help
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pass — a permit
  21. press — newspapers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — all right

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