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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — in sport
  10. chip — to eat
  11. season — of the year
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. press — to push

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