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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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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: hide · pitch · pound · mark · sharp · bass · branch · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pound — a weight
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a trace
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitch — completely
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bass — low music
  16. branch — a division
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hide — animal skin

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