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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. race — the arms race
  3. roll — a list
  4. key — in music
  5. race — humankind
  6. bass — the fish
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bass — low music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. race — a contest
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. key — for a lock
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a dish
  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