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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. press — a publisher
  3. track — a path
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spell — letters
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. suit — to fit
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — in golf
  17. spell — magic
  18. mine — for digging
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. press — to push
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. track — to keep track

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