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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. press — a publisher
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. land — a country
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cue — a signal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bass — low music

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