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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chip — for betting
  7. land — ground
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chip — to eat
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — to push
  16. land — a country
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. march — the month
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. land — to come down
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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