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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · game · fine · pitcher · lie · fork · press · ball

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bass — low music
  8. fine — all right
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ball — a dance
  20. press — to push
  21. game — a match
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — an untruth

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