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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. staff — employees
  3. race — a contest
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. race — humankind
  8. hand — help
  9. toast — bread
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. march — music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. press — to push
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. staff — employees
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. hand — in cards
  18. march — the month
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — low music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. march — the month
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. press — a publisher

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