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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. press — to push
  6. swing — music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ground — a position
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — the earth
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rule — a law
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rule — government
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — a publisher

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