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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: wound · season · fall · pit · bass · band · press · deal

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bass — low music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — a publisher
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fall — the season
  15. pit — in a race
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wound — an injury
  18. press — to push
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. season — in sport
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pit — a hole

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