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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bass — low music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — music
  5. degree — an amount
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. degree — temperature
  13. press — to push
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rock — a stone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. press — a publisher

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