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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. club — for golf
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — to push
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bass — low music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bass — the fish
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a dance
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rest — a break

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