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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — for digging
  4. firm — decided
  5. land — to come down
  6. club — a group
  7. firm — a company
  8. press — to push
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — clothes
  15. land — a country
  16. club — for golf
  17. land — ground
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. press — newspapers
  20. suit — to fit
  21. firm — steady
  22. staff — a stick
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mine — an explosive

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