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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: cap · bass · prune · roll · press · file · jam · toast

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. bass — low music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cap — a hat
  4. roll — a cake
  5. file — a document
  6. press — to push
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. press — a publisher
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. file — a line of people
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. toast — bread
  20. cap — a lid
  21. prune — to trim
  22. file — a tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  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