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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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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: tear · ruler · pitch · rock · snap · calf · press · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rock — a stone
  5. press — to push
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — completely
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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