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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 124 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. press — to push
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bass — the fish
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. press — a publisher
  9. court — for sport
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. date — the fruit
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of a king
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — low music
  23. bound — certain
  24. mouse — the animal

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