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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bass — the fish
  4. press — newspapers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — to push
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — child
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. firm — a company
  23. pit — in a race
  24. firm — steady

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