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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: swing · can · press · season · pass · chest · bank · pop

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — in sport
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pop — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. swing — music
  11. press — to push
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chest — a box
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — a permit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pop — soda
  23. season — of the year
  24. bank — of a river

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