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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — clothes
  3. season — of the year
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. suit — to fit
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. key — the most important part
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. suit — in cards
  19. press — a publisher
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. key — in music
  23. press — to push
  24. bark — to shout

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