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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. march — the month
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. march — music
  9. press — newspapers
  10. court — of law
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — a trace
  17. press — to push
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. court — of a king
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bank — for money

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