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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rash — a series
  15. degree — an amount
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rash — hasty
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bass — low music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. sharp — clever
  22. toast — bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — with an edge

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