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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 120 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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. swing — to play on
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rock — music
  9. season — of the year
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fine — all right
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — a stone
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — in sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rock — to move gently

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