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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. swing — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. court — of a king
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. court — for sport
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bore — to tire
  11. press — to push
  12. swing — to play on
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. court — of law
  17. bore — to drill
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. arm — part of the body

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