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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: stick · foot · bear · current · jam · bass · firm · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bass — low music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. firm — steady
  7. current — of water
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. firm — a company
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — decided
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. current — happening now
  20. press — to push
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. current — electric

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