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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rock — music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bass — the fish
  13. firm — decided
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ground — a position
  16. tube — a container
  17. press — to push
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — a company
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — steady

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