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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chest — of your body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. object — a thing
  5. kid — child
  6. object — an aim
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. object — to protest
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. club — a group
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. rule — a law
  14. kid — to tease
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. club — for golf
  18. field — farmland
  19. press — to push
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rule — government
  24. chest — a box

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