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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. press — a publisher
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. press — to push
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. row — a line
  13. press — newspapers
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — a coil
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — the season

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