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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · press · kick · bass · pop · shower · pitch · cabinet

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. bass — the fish
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. shower — rain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — in football
  8. press — to push
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — low music
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pop — music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mate — to breed
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. shower — to wash
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. mate — a friend
  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