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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. press — to push
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bass — the fish
  6. firm — steady
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. firm — decided
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. firm — a company
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pop — to visit

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