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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bank — for money
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stand — to bear
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. press — to push
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — the amount
  11. press — a publisher
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — a grade
  16. dip — to sink
  17. content — happy
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stand — on your feet

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