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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. net — in sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. object — to protest
  6. net — for catching
  7. press — a publisher
  8. object — a thing
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bank — of a river
  11. craft — boats
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. press — to push
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — after costs

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