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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 120 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. bank — for money
  2. court — of law
  3. bank — for money
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fine — all right
  7. chip — for betting
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. press — to push
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wax — to grow
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. court — for sport
  19. swing — music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — of a river
  22. tube — a container
  23. court — of a king
  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