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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. cue — a signal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cue — a hint
  12. charge — electricity
  13. squash — to crush
  14. charge — a price
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. charge — in control
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cue — for pool

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