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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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Word bank
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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. swing — music
  3. press — to push
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. swing — in golf
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a great time
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — to play on
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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