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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. face — to confront
  3. ball — a great time
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. band — a music group
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. club — a group
  17. band — a ring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. club — for golf
  23. chair — a leader
  24. face — to point toward

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