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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. key — in music
  7. pop — soda
  8. root — of a word
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — the cause
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. press — to push
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bank — of a river
  24. racket — for tennis

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