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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — a friend
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bass — the fish
  6. press — newspapers
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. date — the fruit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a partner
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. press — to push
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — low music

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