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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: pop · mug · press · key · perch · bass · wake · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pop — music
  8. land — a country
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — to push
  15. key — in music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. land — ground
  20. mug — a face
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pop — soda
  24. key — the most important part

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