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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. toast — bread
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. press — to push
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. content — happy
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitch — completely
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — the fish

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