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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: club · chip · rock · safe · press · stand · bass · kick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bass — low music
  3. club — a group
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. press — to push
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — for dancing
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kick — in football
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chip — for betting
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for golf
  24. safe — a strongbox

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