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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. capital — money
  3. rock — music
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bass — low music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. capital — a city
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fine — all right

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