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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: net · rock · press · calf · pass · spring · cap · bass

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. spring — the season
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cap — a lid
  11. spring — a coil
  12. net — after costs
  13. rock — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. pass — a permit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. spring — of water
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rock — to move gently

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