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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 120 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: fork · last · bass · scale · can · press · wave · pop

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — final
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. press — to push
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. last — to go on
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. scale — in music
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — to visit
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. last — finally
  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