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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bass — low music
  6. band — a ring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — in control
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. charge — a price
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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