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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bound — certain
  8. lie — to recline
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — to push
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — the earth
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a hole
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. clip — a video
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  24. press — a publisher

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