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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. press — newspapers
  6. club — a group
  7. press — to push
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — of a word
  12. ground — crushed
  13. swing — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — to play on
  20. root — the cause
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. wax — in the ear

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