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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.

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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: drill · capital · coach · pass · bass · tear · bear · press

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. capital — money
  4. tear — to rip
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. press — to push
  9. tear — from crying
  10. press — a publisher
  11. drill — a practice
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. bass — low music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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