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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. press — to push
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. club — a group
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fall — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kid — child
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ball — a dance
  21. foot — a measure
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ball — a great time
  24. foot — part of the body

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