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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — music
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rock — a stone
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kick — in football
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. drill — army training
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. press — to push
  20. spell — letters
  21. staff — employees
  22. ground — the earth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — a thrill

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