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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: jam · bass · press · toast · row · fan · field · pit

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bass — the fish
  4. field — farmland
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. field — for sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. press — newspapers
  14. toast — bread
  15. field — a subject
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. press — to push
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a hole

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