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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: bass · press · bulb · toast · cold · foot · rock · pitch

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cold — an illness
  4. toast — bread
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — music
  8. foot — a measure
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. press — to push
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bulb — for light
  24. press — a publisher

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