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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bass — low music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. track — a path
  14. charge — electricity
  15. track — a song
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rock — music
  24. press — newspapers

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