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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — a permit
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rule — a law
  17. drill — army training
  18. rule — government
  19. bass — the fish
  20. press — to push
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bound — obliged

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