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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. press — to push
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bass — the fish
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — finally
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. degree — temperature
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. last — final
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — low music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — to go on
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. degree — from a university

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