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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: jam · rule · press · pound · stock · face · kick · bass

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rule — government
  3. bass — low music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bass — the fish
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stock — goods
  9. rule — a law
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. press — to push
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. face — to confront
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stock — shares

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