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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stock — shares
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — goods
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. press — newspapers
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. press — to push
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. staff — employees
  20. row — a line
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — for pool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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