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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — after costs
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — in sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. press — newspapers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — to get on
  23. press — to push
  24. perch — for a bird

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