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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. row — to paddle
  3. press — to push
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. race — a contest
  16. club — a group
  17. plane — a tool
  18. row — a line
  19. club — for golf
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. race — humankind
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. press — a publisher

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