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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: row · press · suit · bass · fan · field · chest · bore

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. field — farmland
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — to paddle
  5. field — for sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chest — a box
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bore — to tire
  10. press — to push
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. field — a subject
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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