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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. can — a tin
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bass — low music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cell — in biology
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mine — for digging
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. roll — a list
  22. ball — a dance
  23. roll — on a roll
  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