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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bass — low music
  3. pop — soda
  4. bass — the fish
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pop — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. press — to push
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a committee
  24. stock — shares

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