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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: bass · mark · staff · press · lean · pound · hand · rock

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mark — a trace
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. press — to push
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bass — low music
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lean — thin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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