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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 120 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: press · bass · cabinet · net · calf · plane · pop · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — a publisher
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — to push
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — soda
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. press — newspapers
  19. net — after costs
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — the most important part

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