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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. firm — decided
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a dance
  5. root — the cause
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — steady
  8. root — of a plant
  9. net — in sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — for catching
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — to push
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rest — what's left
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. root — of a word
  21. net — after costs
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — a company
  24. press — newspapers

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