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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: chair · rush · chip · pop · press · spring · date · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pop — soda
  8. rush — hurry
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chair — a leader
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spring — of water

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