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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: toast · bass · snap · roll · racket · press · band · pound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. band — a music group
  5. bass — low music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pound — a weight
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. roll — a cake
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. band — a ring
  18. press — to push
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. press — newspapers
  23. toast — bread
  24. band — a rubber band

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