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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. race — humankind
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bass — low music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — a contest
  17. press — to push
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bank — of a river
  22. race — the arms race
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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