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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. club — for golf
  5. track — a path
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rush — hurry
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ground — a position
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. track — a song
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ground — the earth

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