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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. firm — steady
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. net — for catching
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pound — a weight
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. press — a publisher
  9. firm — decided
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. net — after costs
  12. squash — the sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. press — newspapers
  18. net — in sport
  19. game — a match
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — to push
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fan — a supporter

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