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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: sharp · spell · roll · bass · press · arm · club · pop

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. press — a publisher
  3. roll — a list
  4. club — a group
  5. roll — a cake
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. spell — letters
  9. press — to push
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. club — for golf
  12. bass — the fish
  13. club — for dancing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — low music
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pop — soda
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — to visit
  22. press — newspapers
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pop — 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