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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — in control
  4. dip — to sink
  5. march — the month
  6. press — a publisher
  7. charge — a price
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. swing — to play on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — electricity
  17. swing — music
  18. capital — money
  19. march — music
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. press — newspapers
  24. capital — a city

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