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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. press — to push
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. squash — the sport
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — a publisher
  13. season — in sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cue — for pool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pop — soda

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