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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. craft — boats
  3. bass — the fish
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. current — electric
  9. press — a publisher
  10. swing — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. staff — a stick
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — newspapers
  19. current — happening now
  20. craft — a skill
  21. press — to push
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — of water
  24. wax — in the ear

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