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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — a stone
  4. march — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — obliged
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. swing — to play on
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — a subject
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. field — for sport
  22. bound — certain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — music

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