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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. swing — in golf
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. race — humankind
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. race — a contest
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mark — a grade
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stock — shares
  16. swing — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stock — goods
  21. press — a publisher
  22. season — of the year
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. season — to add flavour

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