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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. press — a publisher
  5. row — to paddle
  6. charge — a price
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — the fish
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — hurry
  16. degree — temperature
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. charge — in control
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. degree — an amount
  24. current — of water

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