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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: racket · bulb · press · rest · present · bass · stand · trunk

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — to push
  5. bass — low music
  6. present — there
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rest — what's left
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — a gift
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. press — newspapers
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rest — a break
  18. press — a publisher
  19. present — the time now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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