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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 · press · tube · fine · bulb · bat · saw · deal

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tube — a container
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bass — low music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fine — high quality
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bat — for baseball

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