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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — soda
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — decided
  7. march — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bass — low music
  10. ground — a position
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. press — to push
  15. firm — a company
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. firm — steady
  19. march — the month
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ground — the earth
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to spend time

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