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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. firm — decided
  5. row — a line
  6. firm — steady
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fine — all right
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. court — for sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — low music
  20. court — of law
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. court — of a king
  24. firm — a company

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