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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: roll · march · fine · coach · bass · stick · press · bore

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. march — the month
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fine — high quality
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. march — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bass — low music
  12. fine — all right
  13. roll — a list
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — to tire
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. press — to push

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