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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
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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: bear · press · capital · bass · land · bore · rock · rash

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. land — a country
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bass — the fish
  7. capital — a city
  8. press — to push
  9. bore — to tire
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. rash — a series
  16. bore — to drill
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bass — low music
  21. land — to come down
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. rock — music

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