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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kid — child
  5. pound — a weight
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. kid — to tease
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — low music
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. season — in sport
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. season — of the year
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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