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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. scale — in music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. court — for sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. press — newspapers
  10. scale — size or range
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. court — of a king
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — of law
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. press — a publisher

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