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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bank — for money
  4. band — a music group
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. suit — clothes
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. press — to push
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bank — for money
  14. ball — a dance
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a ring
  17. ball — a great time
  18. suit — in cards
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. press — a publisher
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. press — newspapers
  23. suit — to fit
  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