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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. toast — bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — the fish
  13. club — for golf
  14. key — in music
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cold — not warm
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cold — an illness
  21. club — a group
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. press — newspapers
  24. club — for dancing

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