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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: band · press · craft · mark · rush · can · bear · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bear — the animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bass — low music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. band — a ring
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bass — the fish

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