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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: pop · bass · bulb · drill · suit · kick · bank · press

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bass — low music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — to visit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — to push
  9. pop — music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the fish
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kick — in football
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. press — a publisher
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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