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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bass — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. press — to push
  6. net — for catching
  7. key — in music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — a publisher
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — low music
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. press — newspapers
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. plane — a tool
  19. key — for a lock
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. roll — a cake
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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