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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. swing — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cell — in biology
  8. charge — a price
  9. swing — to play on
  10. press — to push
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. press — a publisher
  17. band — a music group
  18. cell — a phone
  19. charge — in control
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. swing — in golf
  22. press — newspapers
  23. charge — electricity
  24. toast — bread

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