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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — the fish
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. craft — boats
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pitch — completely
  11. clip — to cut
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. cap — a lid
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a hat
  19. clip — a video
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. clip — for paper

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