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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — a publisher
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. swing — music
  8. press — to push
  9. root — of a word
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. swing — in golf
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. cap — of ice
  16. hand — help
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fine — high quality
  24. sharp — clever

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