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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. charge — a price
  6. pit — a hole
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rule — a law
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — to push
  11. firm — decided
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bound — obliged
  16. charge — in control
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — certain
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rule — government

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