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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bore — to tire
  6. net — after costs
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. press — a publisher
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. press — to push
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. net — in sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pitch — completely
  21. net — for catching
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rush — to hurry

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