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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bass — the fish
  3. press — to push
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — in music
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — newspapers
  17. charge — a price
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bass — low music
  20. charge — in control
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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