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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. press — newspapers
  3. land — ground
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. land — a country
  6. net — after costs
  7. land — to come down
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. press — to push
  12. ball — a dance
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — music
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pop — soda
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. ball — a great time

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