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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. key — for a lock
  8. degree — an amount
  9. band — a music group
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. club — a group
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. spell — letters
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. band — a ring
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a rubber band

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