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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: object · ball · row · foot · game · swing · leaves · press

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. press — a publisher
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — to push
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. swing — music
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. object — an aim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. press — newspapers
  14. foot — a measure
  15. swing — to play on
  16. row — to paddle
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. game — a match
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. row — a line
  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