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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rock — a stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — a hat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. capital — money
  11. cap — of ice
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. capital — a city
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a great time

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