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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — for catching
  5. press — a publisher
  6. capital — a city
  7. charge — a price
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bass — low music
  15. club — for golf
  16. capital — money
  17. wax — to grow
  18. press — to push
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bass — the fish
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. club — a group
  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