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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · chest · roll · bass · pound · prune · press · date

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — to push
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bass — the fish
  7. press — newspapers
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chest — a box
  14. bass — low music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pound — a weight
  18. date — the fruit
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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