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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 120 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: wake · mouse · press · swing · net · bat · bass · nail

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. net — after costs
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wake — a trail
  13. swing — music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — low music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. bat — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — for catching

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