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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. scale — in music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. swing — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. press — a publisher
  22. swing — to play on
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. press — newspapers

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