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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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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: bowl · board · mug · jam · press · bass · pop · wind

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pop — soda
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — a committee
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pop — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wind — moving air
  17. press — to push
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bass — low music
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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