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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chest — a box
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — a match
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — of your body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — music
  23. press — to push
  24. temple — a place of worship

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