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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 · kid · press · date · deal · saw · board · ruler

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. bass — low music
  8. deal — to handle
  9. press — newspapers
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. date — the fruit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. press — a publisher
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a flat piece

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