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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. field — farmland
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bass — low music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bass — the fish
  15. root — the cause
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — a subject
  24. suit — clothes

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