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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rash — a series
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — finally
  14. bass — low music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — a container

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