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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: bass · rush · march · face · pitcher · chip · press · mate

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. march — music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. press — to push
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — low music
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chip — to eat
  19. face — to point toward
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rush — hurry
  22. face — to confront
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. march — the month

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