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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 button?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. capital — a city
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the fish
  16. capital — money
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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