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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 · pit · season · press · drill · ruler · suit · game

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. swing — to play on
  3. game — a match
  4. swing — music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — a publisher
  9. swing — in golf
  10. press — newspapers
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. suit — in cards
  18. game — wild animals
  19. drill — the tool
  20. press — to push
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. drill — army training
  24. season — to add flavour

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