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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. press — a publisher
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — a trail
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. press — newspapers
  13. date — the fruit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. swing — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — low music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. can — a tin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. swing — to play on
  24. press — to push

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