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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — the fish
  8. kick — in football
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. suit — clothes
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. press — newspapers
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mine — for digging
  24. suit — to fit

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