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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: safe · bound · press · net · bass · pitcher · bore · snap

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bore — to tire
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bound — obliged
  5. net — after costs
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bound — certain
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. net — for catching
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. press — newspapers
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bore — to drill
  22. snap — to click
  23. net — in sport
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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