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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stock — goods
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. press — to push
  9. rule — a law
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — a container
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stock — shares
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rule — government

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