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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — for golf
  9. pitch — completely
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. season — of the year
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — to push
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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