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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 120 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: club · bass · branch · pop · press · rock · swing · pit

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pop — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. swing — music
  7. club — a group
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. rock — music
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. press — newspapers

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