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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. press — to push
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. staff — employees
  11. rule — government
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. deal — to handle
  15. staff — a stick
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. swing — music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rule — a law
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chair — a professorship

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