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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 120 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: bass · stand · chest · bark · pound · press · cabinet · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chest — a box
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — music
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. press — to push

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