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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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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: press · race · rock · firm · root · wind · capital · bass

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — low music
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — of a plant
  9. race — a contest
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. firm — steady
  17. root — of a word
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. press — to push
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  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