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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pop — to visit
  11. current — happening now
  12. pop — music
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pop — soda
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — for money
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stand — to bear
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wind — moving air
  23. roll — a list
  24. current — electric

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