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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: bass · chest · cue · pitcher · firm · fan · press · foot

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — for pool
  15. firm — steady
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. press — to push
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — decided
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. firm — a company
  24. press — a publisher

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