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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: pit · bass · stick · press · band · patient · straw · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bass — the fish
  4. band — a music group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — to push
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. press — newspapers
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bass — low music

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