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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: hand · staff · ball · press · bank · deal · bass · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bass — the fish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. press — to push
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — low music
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hand — in cards
  13. press — a publisher
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a dance
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — help
  22. deal — to handle
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bank — of a river

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