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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: object · present · press · bass · staff · toast · stick · content

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — an aim
  3. content — the amount
  4. bass — low music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. object — a thing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. staff — a stick
  10. press — newspapers
  11. staff — employees
  12. press — a publisher
  13. toast — bread
  14. bass — the fish
  15. present — there
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — a gift
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. staff — employees
  22. press — to push
  23. object — to protest
  24. present — the time now

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