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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bass — the fish
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. drill — a practice
  14. press — to push
  15. degree — temperature
  16. press — a publisher
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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