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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: hand · press · capital · suit · jam · track · bass · pass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. press — to push
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bass — the fish
  18. press — newspapers
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. suit — to fit
  24. press — a publisher

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