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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bass — low music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. march — the month
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rule — government
  22. shower — rain
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

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