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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. press — newspapers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. press — a publisher
  7. content — happy
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bass — low music
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — a match
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. press — to push
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — the amount

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