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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. track — to keep track
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. track — a path
  10. press — a publisher
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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