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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — soda
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pop — to visit
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a list
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spring — the season
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spring — of water
  19. bore — to drill
  20. press — to push
  21. bore — to tire
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pop — music
  24. swing — music

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