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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: foot · press · deal · mouse · object · sharp · swing · row

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. press — a publisher
  3. swing — music
  4. foot — a measure
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. sharp — clever
  8. object — an aim
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. row — a line
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — to push
  14. swing — in golf
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. object — to protest
  23. swing — to play on
  24. object — a thing

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