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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: rash · roll · press · bass · jam · sharp · track · chip

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. sharp — clever
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — the fish
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — for betting
  8. press — newspapers
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. roll — a list
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rash — a series
  24. track — a song

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