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

Word bank: stick · ball · bear · wake · press · bay · pit · club

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. club — for golf
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. press — a publisher
  9. club — a group
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wake — before a funeral

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