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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. object — a thing
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. swing — to play on
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — a measure
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — to push
  12. swing — in golf
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. object — an aim
  20. capital — money
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. press — newspapers
  24. object — to protest

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