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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — to push
  4. spring — of water
  5. swing — in golf
  6. net — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rest — a break
  12. spring — the season
  13. net — for catching
  14. perch — the fish
  15. swing — music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. degree — an amount
  19. net — after costs
  20. spell — magic
  21. degree — from a university
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. swing — to play on
  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