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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · rash · press · cue · court · pit · straw · bass

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. press — to push
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cue — a signal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. court — of a king
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cue — for pool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of law
  16. bass — low music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pit — a hole
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bass — the fish
  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