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

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bass — low music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — newspapers
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. press — to push

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