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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. game — wild animals
  7. press — a publisher
  8. board — a committee
  9. chair — a leader
  10. board — to get on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. current — of water
  14. press — to push
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. current — electric
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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