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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. land — a country
  3. staff — a stick
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — in football
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — in cards
  15. press — to push
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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