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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — a price
  5. bass — low music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hand — help
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. press — to push
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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