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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. club — for dancing
  5. drill — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kid — child
  9. bass — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kid — to tease
  12. file — a document
  13. club — a group
  14. press — to push
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. club — for golf
  18. drill — army training
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. drill — a practice

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