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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bass — low music
  3. present — there
  4. press — a publisher
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — in sport
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bass — the fish
  10. scale — in music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. season — of the year
  13. present — a gift
  14. net — for catching
  15. press — to push
  16. content — happy
  17. press — newspapers
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. net — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. scale — size or range
  22. net — after costs
  23. content — the amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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