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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. staff — a stick
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bass — low music
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. roll — a list
  22. cue — a hint
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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