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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: roll · rock · wake · mine · bass · pop · rule · press

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. roll — a list
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — to push
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — music
  11. rule — government
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bass — low music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — a law
  22. press — a publisher
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rock — to move gently

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