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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. row — a line
  7. date — the fruit
  8. capital — a city
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pop — soda
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. row — to paddle
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pop — to visit
  15. capital — money
  16. bass — low music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — government
  22. pop — music
  23. rule — a law
  24. capital — a big letter

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