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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: press · jam · bank · pop · deal · bass · present · mark

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pop — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. present — there
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bank — of a river
  12. present — a gift
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — the time now
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. press — newspapers
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — low music

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