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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a great time
  4. current — of water
  5. bass — the fish
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. board — a committee
  9. tube — a container
  10. swing — to play on
  11. board — to get on
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bass — low music
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — in golf
  16. net — in sport
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ball — a dance
  19. current — electric
  20. press — to push
  21. swing — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. net — after costs

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