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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: fan · chip · coach · press · foot · bass · band · mouse

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. band — a ring
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a music group
  17. press — to push
  18. bass — low music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mouse — for a computer

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