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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. scale — size or range
  15. press — to push
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. scale — in music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. scale — for weighing

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