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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. press — to push
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lean — to bend
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bass — the fish
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. field — a subject
  16. club — for golf
  17. lean — thin
  18. field — for sport
  19. club — a group
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — to rest against

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