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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spring — of water
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. spring — the season
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. press — to push
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stock — goods
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. prune — the fruit

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