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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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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 · track · file · bear · wax · swing · net · press

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. swing — to play on
  3. track — a path
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. track — a song
  10. net — in sport
  11. press — to push
  12. bear — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. net — for catching
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. net — after costs
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bass — low music

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