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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. root — of a word
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. press — to push
  21. bass — low music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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