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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bass — the fish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bass — low music
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. file — a document
  17. swing — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a tool
  21. press — to push
  22. bat — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — a tool

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