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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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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cap — of ice
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. press — to push
  8. bass — the fish
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cap — a hat
  12. press — newspapers
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bass — low music
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — a lid
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. toast — the most admired

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