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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. court — of law
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — of a king
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. press — to push
  21. band — a ring
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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