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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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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: capital · press · row · ruler · bass · mug · tube · snap

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. row — a line
  8. capital — a city
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tube — a container
  12. press — to push
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. row — to paddle
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. capital — money
  18. snap — to click
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mug — to rob

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