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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pop — music
  10. capital — money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. net — after costs
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pop — to visit
  16. capital — a city
  17. cue — for pool
  18. drill — army training
  19. bass — low music
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. press — to push
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pop — soda
  24. cue — a signal

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