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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · press · stick · march · firm · mug

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mug — to rob
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — music
  7. march — the month
  8. firm — decided
  9. swing — in golf
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mug — a cup
  16. march — music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. firm — steady

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