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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 116 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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. capital — money
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. press — to push
  16. capital — a city
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rash — hasty
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bank — of a river
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — low music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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