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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rock — music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. degree — temperature
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. press — to push

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