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

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the fish
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a document
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. file — a tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a line of people
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bass — low music

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