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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bass — low music
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. press — to push
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chair — a leader
  10. club — a group
  11. press — a publisher
  12. club — for golf
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bank — for money
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. root — of a word
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitch — completely
  20. root — of a plant
  21. press — newspapers
  22. root — the cause
  23. hand — help
  24. club — for dancing

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