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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. press — to push
  3. charge — a price
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. staff — employees
  8. press — newspapers
  9. sharp — clever
  10. press — a publisher
  11. charge — in control
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — a stick
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. staff — employees
  18. cell — a phone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. net — in sport
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. row — a line
  24. bass — low music

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