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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: club · foot · lean · bank · press · bass · mate · swing

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bass — low music
  6. club — a group
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. press — to push
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bass — the fish
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — a partner
  23. press — newspapers
  24. swing — 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