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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wake — a trail
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. capital — a city
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. date — the fruit
  17. capital — money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — low music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bear — to put up with

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