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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — a hole
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. march — the month
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — the month
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rock — music
  23. march — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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