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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — the time now
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. march — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. press — newspapers
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a committee
  18. press — a publisher
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bore — to drill
  22. march — the month
  23. press — to push
  24. board — to get on

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