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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 116 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: rush · press · bass · march · spring · stand · cue · fork

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bass — low music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rush — hurry
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spring — a coil
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spring — the season
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stand — for spectators
  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