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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — of a plant
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a great time
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. press — newspapers
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. date — the fruit
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ball — a dance
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hide — animal skin

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