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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. press — to push
  3. bank — for money
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bound — obliged
  15. club — for golf
  16. rash — a series
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. club — a group
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bank — of a river

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