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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. file — a document
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. file — a tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. press — to push
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — low music
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rest — a break

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