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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. object — an aim
  3. club — for golf
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. press — to push
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — newspapers
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. game — a match
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. club — a group

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