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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: bass · mine · current · pass · rock · ground · press · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. current — happening now
  3. bass — the fish
  4. current — electric
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mine — for digging
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — to push
  17. rock — a stone
  18. current — of water
  19. bass — low music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. press — newspapers
  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