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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 button?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. press — to push
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — in sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. season — of the year
  24. press — a publisher

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