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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kick — in football
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. land — ground
  5. press — a publisher
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. game — a match
  8. suit — in cards
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. land — a country
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stock — goods
  17. press — newspapers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. land — to come down
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stock — shares
  24. press — to push

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