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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rock — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — to push
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — low music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — for sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rule — to rule out

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