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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — a tin
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kid — to tease
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stand — to bear
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kid — child
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. racket — for tennis

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