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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. present — the time now
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pop — soda
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pop — to visit
  10. present — there
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bass — low music
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bass — the fish
  18. race — humankind
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — to push
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. racket — for tennis

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