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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: press · rush · row · capital · bass · foot · sharp · pound

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. press — a publisher
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. capital — a city
  7. row — to paddle
  8. capital — money
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. foot — a measure
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. row — a line
  16. press — to push
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. capital — a big letter

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