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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: press · content · wax · bass · current · racket · roll · bulb

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. press — to push
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — newspapers
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. press — a publisher
  21. current — happening now
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. roll — a cake

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