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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — a price
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — to protest
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. charge — in control
  11. root — the cause
  12. press — newspapers
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. object — an aim
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — completely
  24. object — a thing

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