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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. board — to get on
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — a division
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. squash — to crush
  15. press — to push
  16. bat — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. squash — the sport
  19. key — the most important part
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — in music

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