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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pop — to visit
  4. roll — a cake
  5. press — newspapers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bass — the fish
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — music
  13. roll — a list
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bass — low music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — soda
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cap — a lid
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — to push
  24. cap — of ice

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