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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: present · press · bass · sharp · ball · row · calf · firm

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. press — a publisher
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. firm — decided
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. row — a line
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a dance
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a great time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — there
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. press — to push
  19. firm — a company
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. firm — steady
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — low music
  24. row — to paddle

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