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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. tube — a container
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bass — the fish
  5. press — to push
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. capital — money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bass — low music
  16. capital — a city
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — help
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tube — in a tire

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