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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. rest — a break
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spell — letters
  5. object — a thing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. object — an aim
  8. press — to push
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bass — the fish
  15. object — to protest
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spell — magic
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. capital — money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bowl — a dish
  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