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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. press — a publisher
  3. club — for dancing
  4. press — to push
  5. spring — a coil
  6. club — a group
  7. net — for catching
  8. rule — a law
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — government
  11. bank — of a river
  12. net — after costs
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. club — for golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. net — in sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — the season
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. press — newspapers
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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