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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. press — newspapers
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cap — a lid
  5. last — finally
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. press — a publisher
  13. last — to go on
  14. press — to push
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — a hat
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bass — low music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — final
  24. bass — the instrument

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