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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. firm — steady
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — to push
  6. net — in sport
  7. swing — to play on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — after costs
  11. cap — a lid
  12. firm — a company
  13. bank — of a river
  14. net — for catching
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — newspapers
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. firm — decided
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — music

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